Couper Institute And Library, 84-86 Clarkston Road, Glasgow

The Couper Institute and Library, located at 84-86 Clarkston Road in Glasgow, was designed by James Sellars and built between 1887 and 1888, with a datestone from 1887. A new public library was added to the north by J A T Houston in 1923-1924, and Sellars' original hall and library to the south were replaced by a new hall, also designed by Houston. The building features snecked rubble with ashlar dressings.

The institute is designed in the Scots Renaissance style and has a two-storey gabled front. It includes a first-floor Venetian window with a stone bracketed balcony, and a porch that is recessed to the left, set in front of a short tower topped with a stone spire. The main roof is slated and features an axial ventilator.

The library, which has additions in a lighter coloured stone and incorporates English Baroque elements including sculpture, has an advanced gable on the right side, while the remainder is balustraded. There is a canted window on the left, and a central pedimented doorcase with steps leading to the door. The library features larger lights with T-shaped glazing and is a single storey plus a raised basement.

The hall to the south is two storeys high with regular window bays, and the glazing appears to be original. The ground floor is set forward and has a flat roof, with two doors on the right side. The tall hall range at the rear is balustraded with a slated roof and is concealed from the street. The interior of the hall was modernised between 1971 and 1973.